PD-GO launches RPP at the NVPJ

PD-GO launches RPP at the NVPJ

The Population Division of the Governor’s Office (PD-GO) headed by Provincial Population Officer Elvira G. Tongson launched its Responsableng Pagmamahalan Project (RPP) on November 23, 2022 at the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Jail (NVPJ), with an orientation of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) on their responsibilities to their families, which include their spending of private time with their spouses for bonding and physical intimacy during conjugal visits.

PPO Tongson said that the project is patterned after the Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning (RPFP) program of the Commission on Population (PopCom).

The PD-GO resource persons and facilitators also gave a brief presentation of their office’s mandates and programs, and turned over some IEC materials to the NVPJ management.

Provincial Warden SF04 Carmelo B. Andrada (Ret), NVPJ Chief, was thankful and appreciative of the Project as it would help them in resuming conjugal visits which were stopped since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are studying if we can give due course to the clamor among our PDLs, most probably in December, although we will allow only those PDLs with legal partners, and who have attended the required PD-GO orientations”, PJ Andrada emphasized.

PPO Tongson explained that even before the conceptualization of the RPP, they have already conducted several learning activities at the NVPJ, like their Kalalakihang Tapat sa Responsabilidad at Obligasyon sa Pamilya (KATROPA) sessions.

“The RPP is actually just a continuation of our program for the PDLs to help them become more responsible even if they have been separated from their families. Its launching today is part of the activities that we have lined up for the province’s celebration of Population and Development (POPDEV) Week (i.e., November 23-29, 2022).”, she added.

POPDEV Week is an annual national celebration by virtue of Proclamation No. 76 signed on October 20, 1992 by then-President Fidel V. Ramos. It aims to raise awareness about the interrelationship of population issues and development, as well as to intensify campaigns and draw policies and programs on population concerns from various stakeholders.

This year’s theme, “Increasing Filipino workforce, greater opportunity for social and economic development”, underscores the crucial role of population demographics in terms of understanding the country’s population condition that can lead to sustainable social and economic growth. #mccd reporting